An artist talk and reception will be held on Thursday, September 14 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Paper & Ink: Prints, Drawings and Installations is a Reece Museum exhibition (August 7 – September 22) featuring work by Laken Bridges and John Hilton. The idea for the exhibition is rooted in the artists’ shared passion for paper and ink media. Both Bridges and Hilton earned Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from East Tennessee State University and Master of Fine Arts degrees from Clemson University, with a concentration in printmaking. Beyond these similarities in medium and education, both teach art at ETSU. Stylistically and conceptually there is a “dialogue” between the two artists’ work—both use symbolism and humor to establish critiques and narratives.

Speaking of the exhibition title, Hilton states, “The title for the show is the result of common ground between each artist’s individual work, the use of paper and ink as a primary medium. There is a rich tradition of paper tied to the history of printmaking. Paper has an incredible memory and is the perfect vehicle for recording the marks of each work.” Bridges adds, “The title references the primary processes we both use -- printmaking and drawing. I love that printmaking is a democratic process - it has a history of collaboration, mass communication, and distribution of ideas. It has not always had the prestige of other fine arts media, but has proven itself to be a versatile medium that provides a platform for making art that is accessible to many”